The Rominas

The Rominas
Tatiana

My heart is pounding so hard and fast that I can hear the blood pumping in my veins as I ride the elevator to my penthouse. Angelo offered to come with me, but I didn’t think it was a good idea. 

This is my first meeting with the men who chose to follow me as their leader. Having a chaperone wouldn’t give me the image of a leader they would be proud of—someone confident, strong, and reliable. And that’s the exact image I want to give them tonight.

I know the reason why they voted for me has everything to do with who my father was rather than my skills, but I intend to make them proud of their decision. I want to be a leader they can rely on. I want to be someone they think it’s worth risking their lives to protect everyday.

When the elevator door opens to the living room, I am speechless and shocked by the number of people I see inside my new apartment. The place is packed, from left to right, not to mention the stairs, the balcony, and the second floor, with men dressed in black, all looking at me expectantly as I step inside.

Holy shit, there must be at least 500 people here. 

All because they want me to be their new boss.

No pressure, I tell myself as I prepare to greet them. 

Some of their faces are slightly familiar. I remember them from the time I spent at Oleg’s mansion when he kidnapped me. They hadn’t been mean to me back then, but even if they had, they’d have had no choice other than to follow the orders of their leader.

I wouldn’t hold any of it against them.

Laura, the maid who was nice to me during that time, is here too, in the corner along with several other maids. Even they decided to come.

My heart fills with pride and gratitude for them, and I fight back the lump forming in my throat.

“Good evening, everyone,” I finally greet, speaking loudly so everyone can hear me.

They all bow their heads in my direction, and I need to hide my surprised face. I know they have their formalities, but it still feels odd to see them be directed at me.

I spot Guskov leaning against the wall across from me. He gives me a reassuring nod, and I notice a kind glint in his eyes and a small smile on the corner of his lips.

I’m so glad to have him as my right-hand. Knowing he was friends with my father only makes me more trusting of him.

“First of all, I want to thank you all for being here tonight. I can assume it wasn’t an easy decision to make, but I want you to know how grateful I am for your vote of confidence,” I carry on, my gaze roaming around the room so I can take in the faces of everyone I must treat as my family from now on. 

It will take me some time to get to know all their names, but I’ll do my best so they all feel special.

“For years, you’ve been working for a guy whose only goal was money and power. He never cared about anyone other than himself. He took everything from me; my parents, my freedom, my life… But this is going to change. You’re my new family now. And yes, there will be major changes in the future, but I want to assure you that you'll be my priority too.”

I can imagine some of them—if not most—won’t take lightly the idea of merging with the Saints. It’s been rooted in them to hate them as enemies for years, so this will be news I deliver in another moment. For now, I want them to see me as a better boss than Oleg ever was.

“Changes are not always welcome, but I want to make things better for the Romina Empire. And I’ll be counting on you to help me along the way. I do have a lot to learn, and I will need some time to catch up with everything. But, if you need anything, please feel free to come and talk to me.”

Applauds erupt around me, so loud that they almost deafen me. I try to fight the smile forming on my lips, but end up failing. My eyes are filled with tears as I stare at every one of their faces, their eyes eager for a new perspective in life.

I don’t know what led each of these people to be a part of this gang, but I want them to feel appreciated.

“Guskov will be my right hand, so you can talk to him whenever I’m not accessible. We will have a lot to deal with for the next few days, but most importantly, our main goal is to find Yakov and make sure he doesn’t come after us, seeking revenge,” I inform, starting to pace around the room. The energy running through my system is starting to become too much for me to be able to stand still.

“Anyone who has any information on where he might be or what he might be planning, please tell us and we’ll investigate.” I offer a small smile to Laura as I pass by her, and focus back on the others. “I’ll also have bigger news to share with you all, but for now, I need you to be prepared in case we need to go after Yakov.”

“Yes, Boss!” they all shout in unison.

“Is there anything you want to share or address before I let you go for tonight?” I ask, staring at them, stopping close to the entrance once again.

Silence fills the room, and they all remain in the same position, their arms locked behind their backs and their chins raised.

Guskov steps forward, with his arms also behind his back, but in a more relaxed posture than the rest of the men. He comes toward me and stops by my side.

“I just want to speak for all of us when I say we are here to offer our lives for the mission of serving the Romina Empire and our leader,” he starts, his voice firm and serious. I can still see the kindness behind his gaze, and it astonishes me that I can already read him so easily, even though we met only a few days ago.

The men shout in agreement and I feel my heart flood with a mix of emotions I can’t interpret. I feel slightly overwhelmed with their loyalty, and it only makes me more eager to prove myself worthy of it.

“Thank you so much, Guskov. And all of you,” I address the rest of the room. “I will schedule another meeting with you all soon. I just need to get informed on everything we have going on, so I ask for your understanding and patience while I do so. But as I said, my door will be open for any of you if and when you need,” I conclude. 

I take a deep breath, trying to steady my racing heart as they all start applauding me again. They don’t move out of their professional posture, but some of them risk whistling and cheering.

I let the widest smile spread across my face, showing them my soft side. I may not have the chance to do so moving forward, but I want them to see I’m a human being before a cold boss.

Slowly, they all start moving out of the apartment. Since there’s only one elevator, it takes them a long time to empty the room. As they wait, they come to me to introduce themselves personally. They all reinforce their vows of loyalty toward me and the Romina Empire, and I take the opportunity to get to know them, asking some personal questions like how they ended up here and if they have any complaints. 

Of course I don’t have time to get too deep with any of them now, but at least now they know the path is clear for them to come to me at any time.

Guskov is the last one, and when there’s no one else in the room but us, he comes to me.

“So, big news, huh?” he pries, and it occurs to me that he should be the first one to know before I tell the others. If Guskov is truly going to be my right hand, I need to be open with him about everything related to our empire. 

“Everything happened so fast that I didn’t have the chance to tell you earlier,” I say in an apologetic tone. I sit down on the couch and gesture for him to do the same, but he chooses an armchair across from me instead. “I had a meeting with Antony Bellini earlier today. I made a proposition to him and he accepted. We’re going to merge with the Saints.”

Guskov blinks, staring at me in silence. 

“I know this is shocking, but I honestly think it’s a good opportunity for us to cover more ground in the city. Not to mention the Saints are the biggest gang in the state of New York. You saw how well we fought together to take down Oleg,” I press, trying to give him reasons to believe and support my idea.

“I see your point, and I think it can work. It might take some time to adjust, though,” he finally says after a moment in silence. I was expecting him to disagree with me, but I’m glad he didn’t. I wouldn’t know what else to do to convince him.

“It will work,” I assure him with a sharp nod. “I will need your help with everything, Guskov. And I need that to happen as fast as possible. I don’t want to be caught by surprise by Yakov.”

“Absolutely, Boss.” 

But, in the end, being caught by surprise is exactly what happens when I wake up the next morning.

There are several missed calls from Angelo and Tony on my phone, and when I open the last text message, I jump out of bed. 

The sun is not even out yet, and I’m already being tested.

‘Call me as soon as you see this message,’ Angelo’s message urges. ‘Some of our guys were ambushed last night. It’s Yakov.’